Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Kue Soes Kopi Kapulaga--Cardamom Coffee Cream Puffs

As my blog is entitled Javaholic, many people assume that I focus primarily on coffee. As much as I enjoy a good cup of coffee, which I do several times a day, this blog is more interested in exposing people to Indonesian food. However, after having gone more than two years without a post specifically related to coffee, I find myself having two coffee related posts this month.

When the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program offered interested bloggers a chance to create a post about a dish that would pair with some new blends Peet's was promoting, I leapt at the opportunity. For one thing, I got two bags of Peet's coffee from the deal. Yes, I can be had cheap. I wouldn't have done it, however, if Peet's weren't already my choice for coffee. It seems to be one of the few places where I can get a good cappuccino that is not just a frothy latté. I also appreciate that it uses a lot of Indonesian textile motifs in its decorations.

The new blends--Café Domingo, which is a blend of Central and South American coffees, and Café Solano, which is a blend of African, Indo-Pacific and South American coffees--are medium roasts. Interestingly, Indonesian coffee drinkers tend to favor medium roasts. During my visit to Kediri this past summer, my brother-in-law couldn't appreciate the dark roast Sulaweisi I brought, preferring a medium roast from Flores. He would definitely appreciate the Café Solano.

I don't generally drink much coffee past noon, but I do enjoy it sometimes with dessert. As one of the desserts that Tjing likes is kue soes, which is what Indonesians call cream puffs, I decided to make some with an Indonesian spiced pastry cream. Topped with a simple dark chocolate sauce, these pair very nicely with the medium roast blends.

Sift together the flour, sugar and salt. In a medium saucepan bring the milk, water and butter to a boil over medium heat. As soon as the liquid comes to a boil, dump in the flour mixture and stir well to form a soft dough. Off the heat, stir in one egg at a time, making sure that each egg is thoroughly incorporated before adding the next egg. By the time the last egg has been incorporated, the dough should be satiny and smooth. Using a pastry bag or two tablespoons, place twelve balls of dough on a parchment or silicone lined cookie sheet. Bake for ten minutes at 400º F, then lower the oven to 350º F and bake another 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Cool before filling.

Cardamom Coffee Pastry Cream

1 1/4 cups whole milk

1/4 cup espresso

1/2 cup sugar

4 egg yolks

3 TBS corn starch

the seeds from 4 cardamom pods, finely ground in a mortar

1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

Whisk together the egg yolks with the sugar until light and creamy. Stir in the corn starch, making sure there are no lumps.

Meanwhile, bring the milk, espresso, cardamom and nutmeg to a boil. Pour the hot liquid into the egg yolk mixture while whisking steadily to temper the eggs. Then add this back to the rest of the milk in the pan and stir over low heat for several minutes until it thickens. Chill the pastry cream until you are ready to fill the cooled puffs.

Dark Chocolate Sauce

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 cup whipping cream

8 oz dark chocolate (I use Trader Joe's) finely chopped

In a small sauce pan heat the corn syrup and whipping cream just until it comes to a simmer. Pour over the chopped chocolate and stir to melt the chocolate. Drizzle warm over the filled cream puffs.

Enjoy with a cup of coffee or the beverage of your choice.

I'd like to thank Foodbuzz and Peet's for the coffee and coupons they sent me for taking part in this promotion.